


My safe haven is your arms around me

by Fangirlshrewt97



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Shaw, Torture, Whump, whumptober2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 13:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20967209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlshrewt97/pseuds/Fangirlshrewt97
Summary: When Root has a nightmare, Shaw wakes her up and helps her calm down.





	My safe haven is your arms around me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi readers,
> 
> So this is my first PoI fic, please let me know if I got the characterization for Root right? I know that she is always shown as being completely fearless, but she is still human, and for all that she tries to pretend she isn't affected, I think she is.  
None of these characters are mine, I'm just borrowing them.  
This work is not beta-read so all the mistakes are my own.   
If you enjoyed the story, let me know through kudos and/or comments.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Fangirlshrewt97

They had her in a choke hold and she couldn’t break it, she lashed out with all her force and she could feel her hits landing but it felt like she was hitting brick walls. She tried to kick out but their hold on her legs meant she was only tiring herself out. She tried to scream through the gag, but it came out muffled. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her ribcage. Or just plain burst. Her breaths were ragged, and as the adrenaline slowly left her system, she felt her muscles growing weaker, the fight leaving her.

“There we go, the little doggy is finally settling down,” a female voice called out. It was so familiar, why couldn’t she place it? She tried to struggle again, but her muscles resisted, and sweat dripped down her forehead and chest. “Now little doggy, be a good little puppy and tell us where your master is hiding will you?” the voice taunted again.

The blindfold they had placed over her eyes was removed, and the room swam back into view slowly. She blinked dazedly as she tried to make sense of the shapes. They were in some kind of basement, a little room that looked like it was taken out of a Hollywood interrogation scene. The lights were dim, with just a fading yellow bulb hanging over her. The face in front of her came into focus, and she thrashed again, wanting to get her hands free. It was Control. That bitch was dead. How was she here? Seeing her made a the trickle of dread and fear that had been flowing through the back of her mind transform into a raging river, all thoughts but the need to ‘escape’ and ‘this is impossible’ fading.

“See, I thought the last time we were here, we did not end things properly, so I thought it was high time for a do-over.” Control said, voice betraying nothing as her smile turned sadistic. She moved to the right exposing a table with a tray filled with injections. No, no, no, not again, not again. She would not let her do this to her again. She fought against the bindings, and when had she even been bound to a chair anyways?

Control picked up the first injection, and Root started trembling, though she tried to hide it. She refused to show this bitch any weakness. Control made her way over and gave her the injection, stabbing her carelessly. The drug immediately hit her, making her throw her head back violently and she arched off the chair as she felt it coursing through her whole body. Her muscles were tensed, and she felt like a good tap would make her snap like a twig. But she had barely recovered from the effects of the first injection when the second one hit her on the opposite side, making her collapse on the chair like a ragdoll.

“Alright, now that I have you more sedated, let’s try this again. Where is your master?”

Root mustered all the energy she could to glare at the woman in front of her, spitting out a furious “Go to hell!”

Control sighed, as if this was all just a big inconvenience for her, and moved to the table. She didn’t get another injection though, she got something else from the side. She unwrapped it as she came closer, and by the time she was just a few inches from Root, the lamp glinted evilly off the same blade that had cut off her hearing on one side.

Root struggled, she had managed with one ear, but she could not imagine living life without hearing the Machine ever speaking to her again, or Shaw bantering with her. Two heavy hands landed on her shoulders as another two clamped around her head to hold her in place. She screamed as she felt the cold blade touch her ear, the last thing she heard being an echo of her name being called by her beloved as she blacked out from the pain.

\----PoI----

“Root!” The voice called out one last time as Root shot up in bed, covered in sweat and throat hoarse from the screaming she had been doing during her nightmare.

Her chest continue to heave as she gulped in air, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Hands started running through her hair softly, proving her a point of contact to focus on as she brought her breathing back to normal and calmed down. Her hair was damp and clung to her where she was covered in sweat, and her eyes felt puffy and irritated.

When she finally got herself under control, the hand in her hair fell away, coming to circle her wrist lightly, thumb stroking the back of her hand. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into those dark eyes she loved so much. She was with Shaw. She was in their home. They were both alive. They were both safe.

“Want to talk about?” Shaw asked, voice as kind as she ever could manage.

Root shook her head. She had had enough of the nightmare, she did not want to bring it up again, not when everything still felt so real. Not when she was in bed with Shaw. She would not bring that into their bed.

Shaw nodded, accepting that. “Do you want to shower? Or should I get you some water?” she asked as she started to move away.

Root grabbed her arm tightly, her skin slightly pale again. “Just-,” her voice cracked, “Just hold me. Please. I need to know this is real.”

Shaw stared at her for a moment before moving, pushing her back so that Shaw could settle against the headboard and pull Root to her. She maneuvered Root like a puppet, arranging her so she was essentially in Shaw’s lap. “This ok?”

A faint tremor ran through Root before she nodded, ducking her head under Shaw’s chin, trying to curl herself small so she could fit entirely in Shaw’s lap.

“Ok.” Shaw whispered as she wrapped her hands around Root, one hand slowly rubbing her back.

The two stayed there until Root finally stopped shaking, both falling into an exhausted sleep that was thankfully free of dreams, good or bad.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to chat with me, find me at fangirlshrewt97.tumblr.com


End file.
